Greater flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus are partial capital breeders

Capital breeding refers to a strategy in which birds use body stores for egg formation, whereas income breeders obtain all resources for egg formation at breeding sites. Capital breeding should occur more in large‐bodied species because the relative cost of carrying stores for egg formation becomes smaller with increasing body size. Based on a comparison between stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in potential prey at wintering sites and eggs, we examined whether greater flamingos use nutrients stored earlier in the year for egg production. Our results suggest that the greater flamingo is a partial income breeder, since prey for egg formation were obtained both in overwintering sites and at the breeding site. This may be because there are selective pressures for nesting females to lay soon after arriving at the breeding site, which may be facilitated by arriving at the breeding site with developed ovarian follicles.     

Experimental Relocation of the Mitochondrial ATP9 Gene to the Nucleus Reveals Forces Underlying Mitochondrial Genome Evolution

Only a few genes remain in the mitochondrial genome retained by every eukaryotic organism that carry out essential functions and are implicated in severe diseases. Experimentally relocating these few genes to the nucleus therefore has both therapeutic and evolutionary implications. Numerous unproductive attempts have been made to do so, with a total of only 5 successes across all organisms. We have taken a novel approach to relocating mitochondrial genes that utilizes naturally nuclear versions from other organisms. We demonstrate this approach on subunit 9/c of ATP synthase, successfully relocating this gene for the first time in any organism by expressing the ATP9 genes from Podospora anserina in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This study substantiates the role of protein structure in mitochondrial gene transfer: expression of chimeric constructs reveals that the P. anserina proteins can be correctly imported into mitochondria due to reduced hydrophobicity of the first transmembrane segment. Nuclear expression of ATP9, while permitting almost fully functional oxidative phosphorylation, perturbs many cellular properties, including cellular morphology, and activates the heat shock response. Altogether, our study establishes a novel strategy for allotopic expression of mitochondrial genes, demonstrates the complex adaptations required to relocate ATP9, and indicates a reason that this gene was only transferred to the nucleus during the evolution of multicellular organisms.     

Botryosphaeria viticola sp. nov. on grapevines: a new species with a Dothiorella anamorph

Botryosphaeria viticola sp. nov., isolated from pruned canes of Vitis vinifera in NE Spain, is described and illustrated. Phylogenetic analysis based on ITS and EF1-alpha sequences and morphological characters of both anamorph and teleomorph confirmed this taxon to be included within the group of Botryosphaeria species with Dothiorella anamorphs. It is related most closely to B. sarmentorum and B. iberica from which it differs in morphological characters of the teleomorph and DNA sequences.     

Stereological study of the synaptic profiles belonging to interneurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the rabbit.

This study is concerned with some characteristics of the interneurons belonging to the dLGN (dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus) of the rabbit. The work deals with the distribution of such cells in the alpha E sector of the nucleus and their F1 and F2 presynaptic contacts. The F1 and the F2 profiles are present in all three of the alpha E zones studied. The F1 profiles are significantly more numerous in the upper zone (57 +/- 2 profiles per 10(4) microns2 of section) and the middle zone (59 +/- 3 profiles per 10(4) microns2 of section) than in the lower one (41 +/- 2 profiles per 10(4) microns2 of section). The F2 profiles are more abundant in the alpha E sector than the F1 ones are, particularly in the lower zone, where F2 profiles (104 +/- 4 profiles per 10(4) microns2 of section) are not only significantly more numerous than F1 profiles but also more abundant than the F2 profiles in the middle zone (84 +/- 3 profiles per 10(4) microns2 of section) and upper zone (88 +/- 2 profiles per 10(4) microns2 of section). These results and their comments reveal diverse density of the element distribution from the dorsal to the ventral part of the alpha E sector as well as the possible relationship or independence from the extranuclear afferent inputs.     

GD1b-Derived Gangliosides Modulate Fc��RI Endocytosis in Mast Cells

The role of the mast cell–specific gangliosides in the modulation of the endocytic pathway of FcεRI was investigated in RBL-2H3 cells and in the ganglioside-deficient cell lines, E5 and D1. MAb BC4, which binds to the α subunit of FcεRI, was used in the analysis of receptor internalization. After incubation with BC4-FITC for 30 min, endocytic vesicles in RBL-2H3 and E5 cells were dispersed in the cytoplasm. After 1 hr, the endocytic vesicles of the RBL-2H3 cells had fused and formed clusters, whereas in the E5 cells, the fusion was slower. In contrast, in D1 cells, the endocytic vesicles were smaller and remained close to the plasma membrane even after 3 hr of incubation. When incubated with BC4-FITC and subsequently imunolabeled for markers of various endocytic compartments, a defect in the endocytic pathway in the E5 and D1 cells became evident. In the D1 cells, this defect was observed at the initial steps of endocytosis. Therefore, the ganglioside derivatives from GD1b are important in the endocytosis of FcεRI in mast cells. Because gangliosides may play a role in mast cell–related disease processes, they provide an attractive target for drug therapy and diagnosis.     

High-throughput sequencing of African <Emphasis Type="Italic">chikanda</Emphasis> cake highlights conservation challenges in orchids

Chikanda is a traditional dish made with wild-harvested ground orchid tubers belonging to three orchidioid genera, Disa, Satyrium and Habenaria, all of which are CITES appendix II-listed. Identification of collected orchid tubers is very difficult and documentation of constituent species in prepared chikanda has hitherto been impossible. Here amplicon metabarcoding was used in samples of six prepared chikanda cakes to study genetic sequence diversity and species diversity in this product. Molecular operational taxonomic unit identification using similarity-matching reveals that species of all three genera were present in the chikanda samples studied. Disa was present in all of the samples, Satyrium in five out of six and Habenaria in one of the samples, as well as a number of other plants. The fact that each sample contained orchids and the presence of a wide variety of species from all genera in this traditional dish raise serious concerns about the sustainability of this trade and the future of wild orchid populations in the main harvest areas. This proof-of-concept study shows that Ion-Torrent PGM is a cost-effective scalable platform for metabarcoding using the relatively long nrITS1 and nrITS2 regions. Furthermore, nrITS metabarcoding can be successfully used for the detection of specific ingredients in a highly-processed food product at genus level, and this makes it a useful tool in the detection of possible conservation issues arising from commercialized trade or processed plant products.     

Quantitative aspects in the analysis of the synaptic architecture of thalamic sensory relay nuclei

Special orientations of dendritic trees of projective (relay) neurons were observed in the thalamic nuclei; and it was found to be different in the various nuclei. It can be explained by the size, course, site of the fibre bundles which enter and/or transgress the nuclei. The orientation of dendritic tree and the size of the branching area of dendrites (specific active dendritic space) were analysed by computer. The quantitative data of neuronal elements in some thalamic nuclei gave the opportunity to consider the possible degree of divergence and convergence of sensory fibres regarding their connections with the projective neurons.     

FtsZ Polymers Tethered to the Membrane by ZipA Are Susceptible to Spatial Regulation by Min Waves

Bacterial cell division is driven by an FtsZ ring in which the FtsZ protein localizes at mid-cell and recruits other proteins, forming a divisome. In Escherichia coli, the first molecular assembly of the divisome, the proto-ring, is formed by the association of FtsZ polymers to the cytoplasmic membrane through the membrane-tethering FtsA and ZipA proteins. The MinCDE system plays a major role in the site selection of the division ring because these proteins oscillate from pole to pole in such a way that the concentration of the FtsZ-ring inhibitor, MinC, is minimal at the cell center, thus favoring FtsZ assembly in this region. We show that MinCDE drives the formation of waves of FtsZ polymers associated to bilayers by ZipA, which propagate as antiphase patterns with respect to those of Min as revealed by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The emergence of these FtsZ waves results from the displacement of FtsZ polymers from the vicinity of the membrane by MinCD, which efficiently competes with ZipA for the C-terminal region of FtsZ, a central hub for multiple interactions that are essential for division. The coupling between FtsZ polymers and Min is enhanced at higher surface densities of ZipA or in the presence of crowding agents that favor the accumulation of FtsZ polymers near the membrane. The association of FtsZ polymers to the membrane modifies the response of FtsZ to Min, and comigrating Min-FtsZ waves are observed when FtsZ is free in solution and not attached to the membrane by ZipA. Taken together, our findings show that the dynamic Min patterns modulate the spatial distribution of FtsZ polymers in controlled minimal membranes. We propose that ZipA plays an important role in mid-cell recruitment of FtsZ orchestrated by MinCDE.     

Platelet aggregation, lipids and excretion of catecholamines after acute physical exercise in patients with myocardial infarction

The effect of acute physical exercise and a four-month conditioning program on cardiovascular risk factors was investigated in patients with myocardial infarction. The bicycle exercise testing caused a moderate rise in urinary epinephrine, serum cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels. The changes in platelet aggregation and urinary catecholamines were markedly greater in the group with exercise induced ischaemic changes. Under the effect of the conditioning program a significant improvement in the performance capacity and circulatory response could be observed. The direction of changes in platelet aggregation and in the lipid parameters were favourable too.